Army Seeks Relief on Airport Duty

Published 8:00 pm, Wednesday, January 23, 2002

The Army's top civilian wants the Army National Guard relieved of its security duties at the nation's airports within the coming months, a spokesman said Thursday.

Army Secretary Thomas White has made the request to Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, hoping that civilian federal employees take over the jobs, said Army spokesman Col. Joe Allen.

"He said he hoped that the secretary could do something within the next 60 to 90 days," Allen said of White's letter.

President Bush mobilized National Guard units across the country after terrorists used airplanes to attack the Pentagon and the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11.

In an effort to bolster passenger confidence in airline travel, some 6,000 Guard troops were stationed at more than 400 airports around the country.

White "asked the secretary of transportation to stand up his security plan as soon as possible … so we can begin pulling the Guard troops," Allen said.

"It was an interim situation and as soon as a permanent solution can be implemented, the secretary has indciated he would like to get the Guard out," Allen said.

The Guard is needed to help out with the upcoming Olympic Games in Utah, other homeland security tasks and for their normal state-related duties, Allen said.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that White, in an interview, said the Guard was never envisioned as a long-term security force for airports and that much of the work should be handled by the federal agencies ramping up to deal with homeland security.

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"We obviously do what's necessary to protect our country, but in cases where the resources of others can be geared up to handle some of these things, I think that's the preferred long-term solution," White said in the Post interview.